Chelsea plan to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager, even with the surprise revelations which keep rolling in. Like Harry Kane’s valuation.
Thought knocks
It seems as though Mauricio Pochettino is being lined up by Chelsea as Todd Boehly continues to try navigating this whole tricky club ownership lark.
And with Pochettino himself understandably making no public statement on the links, the Daily Mirror website know full well they have hit paydirt by promising to let us know precisely what he is thinking with these two separate headlines:
‘Mauricio Pochettino’s thoughts on Chelsea squad as he prepares to become new manager’
‘Mauricio Pochettino makes feelings on Graham Potter’s coaching staff clear after Chelsea talks’
It turns out that, according to the first story, Pochettino is ‘understood to be excited at the prospect of working with a young, talented squad in south-west London’. Those are indeed the extent of his ‘thoughts on Chelsea squad’. And obviously we have to wait until the final paragraph of Darren Lewis’ article to learn that a manager who is about to be appointed by Chelsea thinks Chelsea have some good players.
As for the second story, Pochettino has made his ‘feelings on Graham Potter’s coaching staff clear’ by bringing his own team, some of whom he has worked with since beginning his coaching career at Espanyol in 2009, to Stamford Bridge. What that tells us about Pochettino’s thoughts on Bruno Saltor and Bjorn Hamberg is unknown clear.
Frank Lampard, it should be said, also ‘immediately made feelings clear on Graham Potter’s Chelsea coaching staff’ – a Daily Mirror website headline from April 9 – upon his appointment. It is almost as if managers like working with people they know and trust and that is no indication whatsoever of their thoughts or feelings on anyone else.
I can transform ya
Charlie Wyett of The Sun also seems to have inside knowledge of Pochettino’s current mental state:
‘MAURICIO POCHETTINO is hoping to land the Chelsea job this week. And the ex-Tottenham boss believes he can transform the struggling Blues into Prem title contenders next season.’
Someone who turned Tim Sherwood’s Tottenham into title contenders with Daniel Levy’s budgeting reckons he might be able to do similar with the 2021 European champions, who have won eight trophies in their last nine seasons and invested more than £600m into the squad this campaign alone.
More as we get it.
You and me got a whole lot of history
And then there’s Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail:
‘The Argentine’s rich history with Tottenham, with whom he reached a Champions League final and came close to winning the Premier League, is not understood to be an issue for Pochettino with regards to the Chelsea job despite the intense rivalry between the two teams.’
What gave it away? The fact he is about to take the job?
Songs about Kane
Never mind the thoughts of Pochettino, Mediawatch would love to know what Harry Kane makes of it all. But while the Tottenham forward keeps his cards close to his chest, Man Utd are considering maybe perhaps looking at possibly making a potential move to think about the prospect of signing him.
Stunning transfer jargon.
Rough maths
Neil Custis of The Sun goes further by saying that Man Utd will sign Kane and give Marcus Rashford a raise, all ‘paid from David de Gea wage cut’.
‘MANCHESTER UNITED want to make Marcus Rashford and Harry Kane a mouth-watering £600,000-a-week strike partnership to win back the title,’ he writes, shattering all pretence of that Ronaldo rule stuff from not too long ago. So that’s Kane joining on £300,000 a week and Rashford going from £200,000 to matc his new teammate.
It’s a good job that extra £400,000 is being covered by De Gea’s wage cut.
‘Keeper David de Gea is United’s highest earner on £375,000 a week but the 32-year-old, out of contract this summer, will drop his wages after receiving a new £200,000 offer.’
Grand. That’s £175,000 saved. Now just to find another £225,000 a week, not to mention the transfer fee.
Flirty Harry
Actually, while we’re on the subject, Custis does bring some information on that front:
‘Spurs are six points behind United ahead of Thursday’s home clash with Erik ten Hag’s FA Cup finalists.
‘If the Red Devils win, then the £100million asking price for Kane will dramatically reduce as the striker enters the final 12 months of his contract and heading towards the latter end of his career.’
Someone ought to tell the well-connected Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law, who wrote the following on Tuesday morning:
‘Sources believe that while Levy might be prepared to listen to an offer in the region of £80 million from overseas for Kane, he will demand at least £100 million from English clubs and may even decide to reject all bids from the Premier League.’
And yes, of course that story has been rehashed by The Sun website while their guy pretends the notoriously flexible Daniel Levy is about to ‘dramatically reduce’ the price of one of his only saleable assets when a direct rival comes calling.
The man from U.N.C.L.E
‘Tottenham fans nickname Levy ‘Uncle Daniel’ as they fume at bizarre statement’ – The Sun website.
One Tottenham fan nicknamed him ‘Uncle Daniel’ and one more said Levy signing his statement off with only his forename made him sound ‘like some benevolent uncle’.
Hit the road, Jack
Loanees will do that, often specifically ‘just months after joining’.
Niles apart
‘First Arsenal summer exit confirmed as Arteta and Edu continue ruthless rebuild’ – Daily Mirror website.
Does the mutually-appeasing expiration of Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ contract really count as ‘ruthless’?
And finally…
‘Kind-hearted Chelsea ace Raheem Sterling to pay to put 14 poor students through uni’ – The Sun website.
Nothing wrong with the story whatsoever. Quite the contrary. It’s just weird to see Sterling called ‘kind-hearted’ instead of a ‘footie idiot’.
0 Comments